Amit Shah's caste strategy in focus as Thevar strongman Nainar set to take over as TN BJP chief

CHENNAI: Senior BJP leader and Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagendran is poised to assume charge as the 13th president of the State unit BJP, succeeding K Annamalai, in a significant leadership transition aimed at strengthening the party’s alliance and caste dynamics ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

Nainar Nagendran, a former AIADMK minister under the J Jayalalithaa regime, filed his nomination for the post on Friday at Kamalalayam, the BJP state headquarters, in the presence of outgoing president Annamalai and Union Minister of State L Murugan.

With no other contenders in the fray, he is set to be elected unopposed at a formal meeting scheduled for Saturday in Vanagaram, presided over by BJP national secretary Tarun Chugh.

Though the BJP had earlier stipulated that aspirants must be active members for three terms and have a minimum of 10 years of grassroots service, party election officer M Chakravarthy confirmed the rule was relaxed in Tamil Nadu, mirroring similar exceptions made in the past.

A senior BJP leader told DT Next that the move aligns with Amit Shah’s broader social engineering strategy. “Nainar Nagendran belongs to the influential Thevar community, which holds significant sway in south TN. With AIADMK leadership rooted in the Gounder community and PMK representing Vanniyars, this leadership shuffle is designed to project an inclusive caste balance within the NDA,” the leader explained.

Meanwhile, Shah dismissed claims that the alliance was revived only after the change in the BJP’s state leadership. “Annamalai’s organisational capabilities are being recognised at the national level. The BJP high command will soon define his expanded role in the party,” he said, signaling a possible elevation for the former IPS officer.

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